Rapids Sign US National Team Defender Tony Sanneh

Commerce City CO (Wednesday August 15 2007) – The Colorado Rapids announced today that they have acquired the rights to defender Tony Sanneh and have signed him to an MLS contract. Per league and team policy terms were not disclosed.

The Rapids gave the Chicago Fire a fourth round draft pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft for the defender.

Sanneh will be eligible to play in the Rapids’ next match taking place at Dick's Sporting Goods Park vs. the New England Revolution tomorrow.

"We are very happy to add a national team and World Cup veteran like Tony to our team said Head Coach Fernando Clavijo. "He will add needed depth to the center of our back line."

Sanneh joined the Fire his third MLS side in 2005 in a trade with the Columbus Crew. The defender spent 1996-98 with DC United winning two MLS Cups in the process. From 1999 to 2004 Sanneh played in Germany for Hertha Berlin (1999-2001) and FC Nurnberg (2001-2004).

In 2002 Sanneh represented the United States in the World Cup alongside Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee product played every minute of the Americans’ run to the quarterfinals of the world’s most-watched event.